Pet adoption oversight is 'a mess'

Monday

May 7, 2007 at 12:01 AMMay 7, 2007 at 7:19 AM

David McLaughlin/Daily News staff

The warning comes as state investigators shut down two rescue organizations that used a Milford facility to isolate out-of-state dogs as required under state regulations. Two of the dogs died from parvovirus.

Those familiar with the practice of rescuing puppies for adoption described widespread abuse by organizations that transport dogs here from out of state, mostly from the South, without approval.

The groups connect with customers over the Internet and frequently ignore the regulations established by the state to ensure the puppies are healthy. As a result, experts say, families can easily buy sick dogs.

"It's gotten out of control," said Gina Letteri, outreach coordinator with Buddy Dog Humane Society in Sudbury. "Anybody could drive into the state with 15 dogs in the back of a truck and nobody would know."

Buddy Dog is registered with the state and works with three rescue shelters in the South and one in Puerto Rico. It takes in older dogs, between 4 and 5 months, instead of puppies, which can be more susceptible to disease. Letteri said none of their dogs have had parvovirus.

"I just don't like the way these people are circumventing the rules, and the general public is paying for it," she said.

A key factor driving puppy adoptions in Massachusetts, according to those familiar with the practice, is supply and demand. While pet owners here spay and neuter their animals, it's not part of the culture in the South, where shelters are overflowing with unwanted dogs, said Ashland's Cassie Sammons, who works with New England English Springer Spaniel Rescue.

"They're available and people want them," said Sammons.

Those looking to adopt can easily find puppies through shelters and rescue organizations advertising on the Internet.

But not all have secured the state approvals required to bring dogs here, according to Kristin Ruggiero, who is active in the rescue field and helped set up the Milford isolation facility owned by Dr. Rodney Poling, a local veterinarian who runs Holliston Pet Meadows.

More than 100 organizations, she said, have not registered with the state Department of Agricultural Resources. She described how groups will often meet new owners in Connecticut at the state line to skirt rules requiring that the dogs be isolated at an approved facility.

"It happens every weekend. I've seen it. I've been there," said Ruggerio, who estimated at least 10,000 out-of-state dogs are transported here every year. "It's a mess what's going on."

Lisa Capone, a spokeswoman for the Department of Agriculture, said anyone with information about rescue operations bringing puppies to Massachusetts without approval should contact the department.

All out-of-state dogs, except those surrendered by their owners to new owners, must be placed in an approved isolation facility for 48 hours. They must have a valid health certificate, and a veterinarian must examine them before they are sold to new owners.

Officials at the Department of Agriculture issued cease-and-desist orders last week to two rescue organizations, one in Tennessee and one in Massachusetts, that used a Milford facility to isolate dogs.

The two organizations, Pawsafe and The Haven Puppy Rescue, were registered with the state, but they can no longer organize puppy adoptions until the department's investigation is complete. Two of the dogs from Pawsafe sold to an Andover family died from parvovirus.

Both groups had used the Milford facility to isolate their dogs, but Poling said he would no longer allow them to rent space there.

State officials are urging anyone who just adopted a puppy from The Haven Puppy Rescue to bring the animals to a vet after learning that nine puppies brought to Massachusetts Saturday were not properly isolated.

Before adopting, people should only contact the state-approved rescue and shelter organizations, which are listed on the Department of Agriculture's Web site. Letteri from Buddy Dog also urged people to visit the puppies at a local animal shelter before deciding to adopt.

"Most people are doing it with a good intent, but they just don't realize how dangerous it can be," she said.

(David McLaughlin can be reached at 508-626-4338 or at dmclaugh@cnc.com.)

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